Moana 2 is the sequel to Disney’s original Moana that came out in 2016. The film stars Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, and Alan Tudyk. Originally developed as a limited series for Disney+, it was reworked to be a theatrical sequel earlier this year. The sequel takes place three years after where the first one ends. Moana receives an unexpected call from her ancestors, she forms her own crew, along with reuniting with Maui. As they journey to break a god’s curse that once connected the people of the ocean, they confront new and old foes.

Moana 2 is not a film that I was remotely excited for. Even when it was announced earlier this year, it did nothing for me, as I barely remembered anything from the original. Upon getting invited to my first Disney press screening, I decided to rewatch the original to properly prep the sequel. To my surprise, I ended up giving the original a higher score than ever before. The dynamic between Moana & Maui, music, animation, and thematic messages were amongst the film’s highlights. I did get the chance to catch the sequel in IMAX, which was such an immersive experience to watch a film that I found to be quite enjoyable.

If you are a fan of the original, you are going to get more of the same here. It almost has the same formula to a T with the way things play out. That was one of my concerns going in, but the film manages to overcome some of its writing flaws with its impactful thematic messages. Where I wanted to see Moana interact more with others in the original, we get here. We get to see more of what makes her such a good leader when others are involved, even it still plays it safe with its story structure.

It takes a while for the film to get there, but when Moana & Maui finally reunite, the film is at its best. It shows why the original was so good in the first place. Seeing these two characters grow as characters by acting as a balance for the other makes the film so fascinating to watch. I am a big fan of characters who support the others with the others weaknesses. Once the film finally get to that point is where these films succeed most.

With that being said, the film doesn’t know how to utilize these other characters that Moana forms in her crew. It’s great to see how Moana acts as a leader, but it doesn’t do much for these characters that tend to overstay their welcome. These side characters have a likable charm and can have a few funny one-liners, but they also be so one-noted. Some of the humor that they deliver is so borderline silly that only kids in my theater were laughing. If you were to take these characters out, you wouldn’t be missing much other than seeing Moana’s own personal growth.

The story also takes some crazy hoops to jump from conflict to conflict at times. Just as one major conflict starts, I was already forgetting what the overall conflict was. Maybe it’s a byproduct of having three directors in their feature debuts, but it’s easy to be distracted by each conflict to forget what the actual plot is about. This could have been better realized had the film created more of a conflict that would give Moana a better reason to take action.

When the film leans more into Moana & Maui, that’s where the film strives. Moana’s character has so much likability and growth that makes these film’s worth watching. It’s ironic how Maui acts as a surrogate father for Moana, and maybe there’s still more potential for that, but that’s exactly how we continue to see Maui here. Maui also deliver some of the funniest lines that had me and others laughing out loud. When the film succeeds due to their friendship, I wish the film leaned more into that in the beginning. It would have been really unique to see them working together in the beginning.

The music this time around is even better in my opinion. The music is mostly delivered by Auli’i Cravalho & Dwayne Johnson from what I recall. Where the original had some standout songs that are still well known today, every song didn’t always land. That wasn’t the case here. Every single song hit whether it’s explaining the emotion behind characters or simply hyping the audience up. The song, “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” performed by Johnson had me the most hyped, which is something I haven’t felt in an animated musical in a while.

Speaking of animated, the animation is stunning. It may have been eight years since the last, but it’s crystal clear the sequel heightens on the animation. It looks even better in a premium format such as IMAX. It all looks so life-like that it makes me wish the live-action remake would get cancelled. The writing may have some setbacks, but the animation is at its best, making the trip to the theater to see on the biggest screen possible worth it.

It will be interesting to see what the future of this franchise holds. The film intentionally keeps things vague with one character and by the end, it’s to set up another sequel. While I really like the idea of where they could go, it would be annoying to see it be fully fleshed out in another eight years. That’s 2032, which is crazy. Where the film had more potential to close the gap to not have such a cliffhanger, I am going to remain positive that it will work out in the end.

Overall, Moana 2 maintains the same energy as the original to help keep this overall story going. Where the story could seek improvements with more originality, it makes up for with emotion & impactful thematic messaging. The animation is at its most impressive, especially if you go to see it in a premium format at the theaters. Every song hits perfectly, and the characters will keep fans engaged throughout.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)